With that said, still feeling cocky and looking forward to posting a picture of that Corona on Cinco de Mayo, 2017. May enjoy a green beer in addition to my green smoothie in the meantime, but looking forward to how sweet that victory beer will taste.

In terms of typical migraine triggers, I’ve had above my fair share. My stress level for a large portion of 2016 reached levels that I don’t believe I’ve seen before. That resulted in lack of sleep, lots of wine, chocolate, and definitely not eating as healthy as I have in past years, yet a decrease in migraines.

So, what’s working for me? The constant continues to be my daily anti-migraine smoothies, Butterbur with feverfew, and B-2. Same as the year prior where I had 9, and the year before that was my most migraines logged at 23. The year of 23 resulted in having multiple migraines per week. Each of my migraines last from start to finish: three days. So, you can see why having one in the past year, that’s pretty freaking awesome.

Maybe I’ve grown out of them. Maybe the lovely hormones that have come with me in my mid 40’s have assisted with keeping my migraines at bay. If so, I’m hoping those same hormones aren’t resting me up for some huge whopper of new crap in the future. Trying not to let myself get too anxious with that though.

My second birthday of my little blog here just passed yesterday. It’s definitely become somewhere that when I’m not writing about migraines, I’m expressing everything from my love of my cat litter box, to challenges with my kids, Pokemon GO, and a plethora of other stuff that no longer takes space up in my head once I write about it and click “post.”

Thanks for all the support I’ve been given over these past years! I’ve loved it, and I really appreciate when some of my words strike a chord and relate with others! Hope I’ve even gotten you to laugh a time or two! 🙂

Over the past two years, I’ve written 127 posts, and as a combination, those posts have been viewed 7,764 times. That’s wild man.

Like this:

Traveling with the fam last week, hours a day in the car, making my green smoothie, or even bringing it frozen just wasn’t in the cards.

I picked up the Naked green machine boosted smoothie, and that with my supplement arsenal, seemed to work out just fine. I wasn’t about to totally chance it and fully skip out on green smoothies, as on vacation I tend to not eat or drink according to my regular lifestyle! 🙂 While I don’t think it has nearly the same benefits of my homemade anti-migraine smoothie, it seemed to work in a pinch.

And by the way, it was delicious! It tasted like apple juice. Even my youngest braved trying it. I kept telling her it tasted just like apple juice, and when she tried a sip, her response was “Um, no mom, it does not.” Oh well, it worked for me!

Like this:

Not as good as it would have been if my streak didn’t end on Day 240, but still, 40 is very good.

This time of year, this is a normal sight in my freezer:

It’s how I go on vacation. Freezing my Anti-Migraine smoothies and taking them with me wherever I go help me stay on track and not to have to prepare them while on a trip.

I have to keep my arsenal of daily supplements and smoothies on track even on vacation. Especially on vacation, because that is where fun foods and drinks happen, which may be enough at times to throw my body into the train of thought of “Oh, things are different, she’s having way too much fun, let’s give her a migraine!”

Wishing you and myself a migraine free summer.

I have at times considered adding vodka to my green anti-migraine smoothie!

Like this:

Tears welled up in my eyes as I stood with my bowl full of dehydrated frozen chicken with noodles and veggies waiting for their turn to be cooked at the Mongolian BBQ place for lunch today. I looked around, and with great fear, said out loud to my husband, “I think I’m getting a migraine. I am getting a migraine.”

I almost went to the car so I could really cry. But the food looked so good, and let’s face it, I love food, so I rallied.

Getting a migraine today felt like failure. I know that’s super lame. Going 240 days without a migraine when they used to come up to 3 times a week, that’s no failure, that’s a slam dunk. But I really liked my life without them.

It could be any of those. Unfortunately, only some of those are under my control, and I will do my best to control them again starting with day 1 of a new streak tomorrow as the headache arrives with it’s full vengeance.

Obviously, sarcasm is involved, yet, if you google anything and migraine trigger, I’m sure it will be found somewhere. Migraines are not choosy.

That leads me to my anxiety induced panic filled web search and phone calls of this afternoon following a regular visit to my natural foods store where I get the arsenal of my anti-migraine potion.

When I went to purchase Butterbur, they were out. Not only out, but not sure when they will be getting any more in. Apparently, there is a problem with the butterbur crop or something? What the what??!! Ok, how about Feverfew? Nope, out of that too.

Looked online, found my brand easily on a website….out of stock/backorder.

Called around and found a store that carried Butterbur about 15 miles from me. I’ll be going to pick it up tomorrow. I’m nervous if it is a different brand. I’m certainly a creature of habit, and I don’t need any slight change to create a reaction in me. But more important, I don’t want anything to change in my anti-migraine potion, along with my daily anti-migraine smoothie. Because 233 days migraine free is amazing. And I’m not sure which cog of this machine is making it work, but I’m not going to screw any of it up.

Yes, my area code is 209, but I’m more focused on representing day 209 of no migraines.

I was super nervous to celebrate day 200, or even really acknowledge day 205, which is where my largest migraine free streak up until now had ended.

Yet, here I am. Day 209. No kaleidoscope eyes, no dullness for 48 hours with the fear of standing up too quickly for reasons other than a fire due to the extreme headache pain for TWO HUNDRED AND NINE DAYS! Anti migraine smoothie? Butterbur? Feverfew? B-2? Plain luck? Don’t know the reason. Just thankful.

I wrote on day 197 that I was nervous about going to Vegas, that partying like a rock star (although, let’s be honest, my version of partying like a rock star is likened more to that of a 90 year old rock star these days), but honestly, I was nervous that enjoying multiple cocktails for a couple days in a row may bring on a migraine.

A couple days before our trip, I woke up in the middle of the night and told my husband I didn’t want to go to Vegas. Not because of my fear of it triggering a migraine, I just wasn’t feeling it. When I booked the trip months ago, which was anchored by purchasing tickets to see Billy Idol, I was in a Hell Ya! mood, a kick ass Let’s Do This! mood. I haven’t been feeling that mood lately. And the more experience I have at this living life thing, the more I have to listen to that voice that says “I don’t want to do this” and go with what feels good.

So, we went to Tahoe. Familiar, relaxing, beautiful, with some cocktails mixed in there too. The gambling gods even gave me a shout out to let me know that I was right to listen to my inner voice and go with what feels good by giving me this:

Well, I’m around the corner from my record of 205 days migraine free. Pretty cool stuff.

I just don’t want to get crazy and jinx anything and shoot for a blog post on day 200. Fact is, I’ll be in Vegas on day 200, and if the last time I had too much fun is any indication, day 200 may not come. Hoping it will, but just in case, I’m celebrating on day 197!!!